


take my hand (take my whole life, too)

by amsves



Category: Log Horizon
Genre: Carrying, F/M, Fluff, Fluff Bingo, Fluff without Plot, Heart-to-Heart, Injury, Nail Polish, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, Sleepovers, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2019-11-26 16:51:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18183227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amsves/pseuds/amsves
Summary: Out of nowhere, a snowstorm overtakes Akiba, forcing Shiroe and Akatsuki inside.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shinialene](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinialene/gifts).



> Fluff Bingo: "Looks like we'll be trapped for a while ..."
> 
> For Shirialene, who left such nice comments on my other Shiroe/Akatsuki fics! I hope this makes you smile :D Also, the 'gift' function wasn't working for me earlier, so I hope it's working now!

“Looks like we’ll be trapped here for a while.”

Shiroe turned his attention away from the window. The snow would be falling for a while, anyway, so there was no point in watching it pile up endlessly on the roads. He could barely see the roads at all, with so many flakes swirling in the air. He would only make himself upset if he kept watching and thinking about how inconvenient it all was.

He and Akatsuki had been walking over to visit Princess Rayneshia when the first flakes had fallen from the sky. Akiba really didn’t get snow, but it was the winter season, so the inclement weather could be forgiven. What couldn’t be, however, was how quickly it had devolved from a few spare snowflakes into a full-on blizzard, completely unforeseen and completely capable of making Adventurers and Landers alike scramble back indoors. Akatsuki and Shiroe had had just enough time to make their way to the nearest inn before the roads became too tricky to traverse. 

When it had become apparent that the snow wouldn’t be stopping before nightfall, Shiroe had resignedly asked for a room.

“Couldn’t we just use the griffin, my Lord?” Akatsuki asked, before flopping backwards onto one of the two twin beds.

Shiroe sank down slowly onto the other one. “With the weather like this? They won’t fly, they’ll just squawk at me until their time is up.” He ran a hand through his already-tousled hair. “We’d better just stay inside. With any luck, it’ll be clear enough that we can make it to the Princess tomorrow. Oh,” he added, “That reminds me. Will you call the Embassy and tell them we can’t make it tonight?”

Akatsuki nodded and started the telepathic call.

Shiroe’s eyes turned towards the window once more. The outside world was practically a white sheet by now. The magic lights, normally lighting the street so well at night that it could almost be daytime, were completely obscured.

He sighed.

“My Lord?” came the familiar voice from behind him, and he started.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.”

Akatsuki smiled. “You’re very good at that, my Lord, but it won’t do you any good right now.” She pushed herself up into a seated position. “Try and relax, alright? I mean, we made it out of the snow safely, and we’re somewhere dry where we can wait out the storm, and there’s even a fireplace to keep this place warm, so that’s good, right?”

Shiroe smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess so. Thanks.” 

They lapsed back into silence. Shiroe could feel the tension mounting as neither of them could think of anything to say. He opened his mouth, intent on saying whatever came to mind in order to stop the awkwardness from getting any worse. “Um--”

“My Lord--”

Shiroe winced. Even more awkward than before. “Uh, you go first.”

“Are you sure, my Lord?”

“Yeah! I mean, uh, I didn’t have anything to say, really.”

Akatsuki folded her hands in her lap. “I was going to say, I’m getting a little hungry, aren’t you? And I think I have some field rations in my bag, so, I was going to offer to get you something to eat.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sounds great.” As if on cue, Shiroe’s stomach rumbled. Their eyes met, and Akatsuki giggled. 

“I’ll get right on it, my Lord.” She rummaged around in her magic bag for several seconds, before giving up and dumping the whole thing out onto her bed. Shiroe noted a few red bean buns, some cereal bars, and few beef jerky sticks, as well as several other items that he hoped she didn’t plan on eating. That Rayneshia figure, for example, didn’t look very nutritious or tasty.

Akatsuki followed his stare to the figure and blushed. “Uh, this is, Rayneshia asked me to show her some of the merchandise people have been making of her, and I figured this was a good example. She didn’t really ‘get’ the whole, well …” she trailed off.

“‘Akiba’ culture?” Shiroe guessed.

Akatsuki nodded. “She wants to understand Adventurer culture, but it’s definitely very different, so, yeah. Hence, the figure.”

“You didn’t strike me as the kind of girl who would collect those things anyways,” Shiroe added lightly. His gaze landed on another item on Akatsuki’s bed. “And the nail polish?”

“I mentioned that, back on Earth, some Adventurers like to paint their nails, and she asked me to paint hers next time I came around.” Akatsuki picked up the small bottle, the light pink polish sliding around inside. “I wasn’t sure which color she would want, so I bought a few. Pink is a safe bet, but maybe she’d want to try something bolder?”

“Bolder?” Shiroe echoed, and Akatsuki dug in her pile of stuff to produce a few more bottles. 

“Yeah, like maybe she would prefer red, to complement the roses she likes to wear. Or silver, like her hair. Or maybe even something like black would be nice, since it’s so unexpected for a princess who wears entirely pastels.” Akatsuki let the bottles fall back onto the quilt of the bed. “So, that’s the story there, my Lord. What would you like for dinner?”

They munched on red bean buns quietly, but without the considerable discomfort between them. After their quick meal, Shiroe stood up from his bed and stretched. “I think I’ll start the fire before we get too cold. Is that okay?” At Akatsuki’s nod, he produced a match from his own magic bag and got a small flame going in the fireplace. 

Within no time it was a roaring blaze, and Shiroe found himself warm enough to remove his cloak. He turned back to the assassin, and his gaze landed once more on the pile on her bed. An idea struck him. “Hey, Akatsuki? I’ve got an idea for something we can do while we wait out the storm.”

“My Lord?”

“You said you were going to paint the Princess’ nails, right? It must have been a long time since you last did that, so why don’t you practice?”

A look of confusion crossed with disbelief settled across Akatsuki’s features. “My Lord, what are you implying?”

Shiroe held his hands up in a disarming gesture. “I’ve never had my nails done before, and it looks fun, is all. Why else would people do it all the time back on Earth?”

It was only when Shiroe settled himself on the floor of the room that Akatsuki shrugged and got down with him. “I appreciate your help in practicing, my Lord. Now, which color would you like?”

“What would you pick?” he countered, and Akatsuki hummed in thought.

“For you? Probably not the pink--it’s just not your shade. The red is a little too bright for you, and the silver a little too sparkly. I would have to choose the black, my Lord.”

Shiroe smiled and placed his left hand into hers. “That’s what I was thinking, too.”

Akatsuki smiled back. “Shall we get started?” 

“I’m excited,” Shiroe remarked as she unscrewed the bottle’s cap. 

“Me too. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do something like this.”

Shiroe watched, surprisingly fascinated, as the assassin applied quick, steady strokes of color to his nails. She never missed the nail, never smudged the polish already present. Almost too quickly, she was done with his left hand.

Shiroe pulled it back slowly, admiring the way the inky polish reflected the light. “This actually looks … awesome. You’re really good at this.”

“Did you doubt me, my Lord?”

Shiroe sputtered. “Me? Never.” 

Akatsuki laughed. “Other hand, please.”   


“Oh, right.” Shiroe placed his right hand in Akatsuki’s left, and they began the process again.

“You said a little while ago,” he mused, “That it had been a while since you had been able to do this. But couldn’t you have done this any time you wanted, once we got the city stabilized?”

“I could,” she agreed, “But I meant that it had been a long time since I had done this with someone else. I can’t even remember the last time, actually.”

“With your skills, I’m shocked that you didn’t have people lining up down the block,” he joked, and Akatsuki’s smile slipped from her face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean--”

“Don’t apologize, my Lord,” she scolded. “It shouldn’t surprise you that I didn’t have too many friends in the real world. I mean, how else could I have dedicated so much time to Elder Tales?” She laughed, but it sounded hollow. “That was--is--way more fun than hanging out with a bunch of girls doing basic stuff like this, anyways.”

“I know what you mean. Elder Tales, it was kind of my whole life for a while. I guess it still is, especially now. Still,” he added, “If you ever get the urge to do ‘basic stuff like this’, I’m always interested.”

Akatsuki met his eyes, and Shiroe could see the surprise in hers. “Really? You’re not just, uh--”

“Tolerating this?” Shiroe suggested, and Akatsuki nodded. He shook his head. “No, I’m actually having fun. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that we got stuck here in this storm.”

Akatsuki swiped the finishing stroke across Shiroe’s thumb. “I’m kind of glad, too,” she mumbled. “It’s been fun.”

Silence overtook them again. Shiroe hated how awkward things could get when it was just the two of them. It was like he never knew what to say or how to act. “Are you, um,” he started, “Gonna do your nails, too?”

Akatsuki screwed the cap back on the polish bottle. “I was planning on it, yes.”

“Isn’t it hard? Doing your own?”

“The dominant hand, definitely,” Akatsuki agreed. “Which color should I do, my Lord?”

“Red,” he said, a little too quickly. “It matches your gear.”

Akatsuki grabbed the bottle and got to work doing her left hand. 

Shiroe watched, no less entranced than he had been at the start of the event. “You’re really good at this,” he said again, and Akatsuki blushed. 

“Thank you, my Lord, but unfortunately I have yet to master the art of doing my right hand. I’m afraid this one won’t be nearly as neat.”

“I could do it,” Shiroe offered, and Akatsuki blinked. “If you want. Sorry, just figured I’d offer.”

Akatsuki extended her right hand. “Give it your best shot, my Lord.”

With trembling fingers, Shiroe unscrewed the lid and held the brush over her hand. He took a deep breath, and delivered the first slow, trembling stroke down the curve of her thumbnail. He winced. “Oh, it’s all squiggly. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry, just keep going. It takes practice.”

Shiroe applied another stroke over the same place, and the paint spilled over onto the skin of her finger. “Damn. Sorry. I mean,” he sighed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have--”

“My Lord, don’t finish that sentence.” Akatsuki glared at him, and Shiroe felt his face heating up. “I said it takes practice, and I meant it. It’s just like anything else. Besides, if it’s really awful, I can just wipe it off and do it myself. But I won’t,” she added, softly. “It makes me happy, that you wanted to try. So keep going, if you still want to, but don’t feel bad about it not being super neat or anything.”

Shiroe took another deep breath and got back to work. 

Ultimately, his handiwork was sloppy, with brushstrokes clearly evident in the paint, uneven color levels, and plenty of polish applied places other than fingernails. But he did feel pretty dang proud of himself. And Akatsuki looked pleased, too. That was what really mattered.

Akatsuki yawned, and Shiroe came back to reality. “Yeah, I’m tired, too. Let’s get ready for bed.”

Getting ready consisted of shoving all of Akatsuki’s belongings back into her bag and slipping fully clothed under the covers in their respective beds. Akatsuki, normally the watchful guardian, was out like a light. Shiroe had time to think that he was thankful to have her around before he fell asleep as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Shiroe woke up, he was _cold_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff bingo square: huddling for warmth
> 
> For Shinialene, who requested 'huddling for warmth' I hope you like it!

When Shiroe woke up, he was  _ cold _ .

A quick glance at the window showed that it was still dark outside; another glance at the fireplace told him that the fire had long since gone out. That must be why he’d woken up in the middle of the night--without that source of warmth, the freezing air from the outside was leaking in unopposed, chilling the whole room.

Unwilling to get out of bed and thus lose the heat that had built up under the blankets, Shiroe simply re-equipped his cloak and closed his eyes, intending to drift off again. He focused on evening out his breathing and trying to relax, but something wasn’t quite right. There was a noise, barely present above the howl of the wind but still there, still just loud enough to make it hard to fall asleep. It was a rattling kind of sound, sort of like chattering teeth--

_ Akatsuki _ .

Shiroe sat up. There, in the bed next to his, even under the mountain of blankets, he could see her figure shake and shiver. If Shiroe had been cold enough to wake up, she must be positively freezing.

Adventurers couldn’t get frostbite, right? Or hypothermia? Shiroe exhaled. This wasn’t the time to think about that. Sometimes, you had to just  _ do _ .

“Akatsuki?” he called softly, unsure if the walls between the other rooms were soundproofed. “Are you awake?”

“My Lord?” she answered quietly, voice trembling. Her face poked out from under the covers. “What are you doing awake?”

“I was cold,” he answered, carefully extricating himself from the mountain of blankets. He flinched when his feet hit the ice-cold floor, before padding over to the fire and attempting to relight it. A faint flame started, but it was nothing like the burning blaze they’d had before. They’d burned through most of their kindling.

Shiroe breathed out, and a cloud of his own breath materialized in front of his face. “I restarted the fire,” he said, turning back to Akatsuki, “But I doubt we’ll be as warm as we were before.”

In the dim firelight, he could see her trembling frame. She was already so small, and dwarfed by bedding and darkness she almost disappeared. Her lips were purple, almost blue, from cold, and he would bet her fingers were the same way. 

_ God _ , her outfit didn’t even have full sleeves or pants. Shiroe curled his fingers into his palm. Slowly, he walked over to her bedside and gently brushed a hand against her cheek. “You’re freezing.”

“I appreciate my Lord’s concern,” she responded in a small voice, “But I will be alright.”

“Akatsuki, don’t be ridiculous.” Akatsuki made a gasping noise as Shiroe suddenly threw his arms around her and pulled her to his chest in a great bear hug. “ _ I’m  _ cold, and I’m fully covered. If this was Earth, you’d--” he stopped, throat closing up. “I’m sorry.”

“My Lord, what could you possibly be apologizing for?” Akatsuki’s voice was muffled by the hug, but neither of them moved to pull away. “You haven’t done anything to me.”

“That’s the point,” he countered, “What kind of ‘Lord’ am I, that I would let my most loyal follower suffer?”

Akatsuki huffed. “That’s hardly fair,” she said, but Shiroe could tell she was smiling. “I’m not suffering, I’m just a little cold.”

An idea came to Shiroe, and with it a blush, staining his cheeks. “Akatsuki, please know that, with what I’m about to say, I have no dubious intentions.”

“My Lord?”

“I think we might need to share a bed tonight.”

Akatsuki squeaked, and Shiroe thought that he might have made a mistake. “Just because we’re both freezing in this cold,” he added hastily, “And I don’t think the fire is going to be enough anymore. We would be warmer if we did--and I swear I don’t mean anything by it! Just, it would be more efficient, and--”

“Okay,” Akatsuki agreed, so quiet that Shiroe almost didn’t hear her. He sighed in relief. 

“Okay,” he echoed. Then, slowly, cautiously, he released her from the hug, and lifted the blankets off the bed and slipped in under them.

If Akatsuki’s face was cold, her hands were pure ice. Shiroe cupped them in his own, ignoring the sting from the cold. After a minute, his eyes adjusted to the near-dark, and he could see Akatsuki’s face, as red as her red bean buns--though his was surely the same. “Hi?” he whispered.

Akatsuki smiled. “Hi.”

Shiroe scooted a little closer. “Again, I’m really sorry for even suggesting this, but--”

“My Lord, you’ve taken to apologizing quite a lot,” Akatsuki interrupted. “Do you feel guilty about something? Maybe you’re hiding something from me?”

“No! It’s--”

“I’m teasing,” she interrupted again, and the relief must have been visible on his face, because she giggled. “I have to admit, my Lord, this was probably a good idea. I feel warmer already.”

“Oh. That’s good, then.”

The steady crackle of the fireplace, the wind whistling outside, even the sound of their ragged breaths--Shiroe couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his heartbeat, pounding so loud in his ears that he thought it must be audible all the way back at Log Horizon.

Shiroe must have shifted closer again, or maybe Akatsuki had, because they were nearly chest-to-chest, only their entwined hands between them. If Akatsuki thought they were too close, she didn’t mention. She already looked much better, lips and cheeks restored to a more natural color. 

“Your forehead is wrinkly, my Lord,” Akatsuki said suddenly, and Shiroe blinked. 

“Oh, sorry.”

“Stop thinking so hard,” she admonished. “I already said that I didn’t mind. Don’t worry about me anymore. Just go to sleep. You really need it.”

Shiroe huffed, but did as she commanded. He closed his eyes, and took a series of deep, slow breaths, and the next thing he knew, it was morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me and request bingo squares on [Tumblr!](http://www.skeletoncloset.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snow having subsided, Shiroe and Akatsuki continue on their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Piggyback ride for Fluff Bingo!

Shiroe blinked into consciousness--or, at least, he thought he did. But the scene before him was much more likely to be one out of a dream.

He shut his eyes, counted to ten, and opened them again, to the same results. Akatsuki, sleeping, right in front of him, with their hands clasped together. While they were in bed.

Memories of last night came back, and he exhaled.  _ Oh, right. We were cold. That’s all it was. _

Slowly, trying not to wake the assassin sleeping in front of him, he pulled their hands apart and shifted towards the edge of the bed. It took him the better part of a minute, but he managed to extricate himself without waking Akatsuki.

“...my Lord?”

Or so he thought. Wow, he was zero for two today. “You can go back to sleep if you want, Akatsuki,” he said, as casually as he could manage. “I’m just stoking the fire.”

Akatsuki didn’t want to go back to sleep, apparently, because she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “If my Lord is awake, I should be as well,” she said definitively, resolve overtaking the yawn that cut in halfway through the word ‘awake’. “I’ll get us some breakfast. Would cereal bars be okay?”

They ate quickly, sitting in front of the fire as it burned through the last of their kindling. When it finally died out, Shiroe stood up and looked around the room. “We didn’t really unpack much last night, so I think we’re good to leave whenever we’re ready to hit the road.” He extended a hand to help her off the floor. “Is that okay?”

Akatsuki blushed as she placed her hand in his, which made Shiroe blush in turn.  _ Oh, great. We’re going to be stuttering messes today because of me, huh? Good one, Shiroe _ . 

They set out. The snow had stopped falling, much to their relief, but the roads were far from clear. Snowdrifts a meter high or more were still common, and in some places the snow was taller than Akatsuki. Shiroe thought it was funny. Akatsuki wasn’t as amused.

“I’ll be using my ninja abilities to run along the rooftops, my Lord,” she decided, glaring at the snow. “Try not to slip, okay?”

“I should be saying that to you,” he countered. “The roofs are bound to be icy--” He sighed as she vanished in a bolt of purple light. “Well, I hope she’s alright.”

He had no sooner said that than a motion in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He dove forward just in time to have Akatsuki land in his arms. 

“Are you hurt?” 

“Not from the fall,” she answered, and Shiroe narrowed his eyes.

“But?”

“I slipped.” The shame on her face was prominent, and just a little adorable. “I might have twisted my ankle. I’m fine, though. Let’s continue, my Lord.” 

Shiroe put her down on the ground, and immediately caught her again as she swayed to one side. “You aren’t  _ fine _ ,” he rebutted, in what he hoped was a stern voice. “You can’t even walk.”

“Forgive me, my Lord, but our arrival has already been delayed enough. I can make it to the Embassy just fine, I just need a moment--”

“Nope,” Shiroe interjected. “You aren’t walking to the Embassy. I’ll just carry you.”

“My Lord, that is hardly necessary--”

Shiroe crouched down on the snowy ground. “Climb on already. We’re not that far away; I can manage a piggyback ride that long.”

“If we’re not that far away, you should just let me walk, my Lord,” Akatsuki grumbled, but climbed on to Shiroe’s back all the same. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Shiroe hooked his arms around her thighs. He stood up, and off they went.

Shiroe could feel the curious stares of the townspeople on them. He couldn’t blame them--after all, the Villain in Glasses giving a small girl a piggyback ride? They were bound to look ridiculous. But that wasn’t important. What was important was  _ finally  _ getting to Princess Rayneshia, after that impossible delay.

He hadn’t been lying when he said they were close, but he was still glad to put Akatsuki down on the ground when they finally arrived. Rayneshia whisked Akatsuki away almost immediately, her enthusiasm palpable. Akatsuki had time to spare a glance back in Shiroe’s direction before she vanished out of sight; for a brief moment their eyes met, and they smiled. 

Then she was gone, and Shiroe got to work with Rieze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me and request bingo squares on [Tumblr!](http://www.skeletoncloset.tumblr.com)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayneshia and Akatsuki have a girl's day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff bingo: sleepover

“Did you bring it?” Rayneshia demanded the second she pulled Akatsuki into her room.

Akatsuki nodded. “I’ve got one of your figures, two of your t-shirts, and four different colors of nail polish. What do you want to do first?”

“Nails, definitely.” Rayneshia perched delicately on the edge of her bed. “What are my options for colors?”

Akatsuki sat opposite her and dug around in her bag. “I’ve got this light pink, for starters.” She held it up to the light. “I think it would go well with the dress you wear so much.”

Rayneshia grabbed it from Akatsuki and turned it over appraisingly in her hands. “It’s nice, for sure.” She set it beside her on the bed. “What else?”

Akatsuki produced the silver. “This one’s slightly shimmery, which might be fun. I thought it would compliment your hair and eyes.”

Rayneshia nodded, and Akatsuki grabbed the red bottle. “You tend to wear red roses, so I figured the red might be appropriate.”

“It’s a little bright,” Rayneshia said haltingly, and Akatsuki put the bottle back in her bag. 

“I’m not surprised, but I thought I’d offer anyways. Lastly, I have this one.” She handed the black nail polish to Rayneshia, who wrinkled her nose.

“I’m not much a fan of black.” She picked up the pink and silver bottles and handed them back to Akatsuki. “Can we do some of each of these colors? Is that a thing Adventurers do?”

“Sure,” Akatsuki agreed, unscrewing the cap to the pink. “How about I do your ring finger silver, and the rest pink?”

She started with quick, steady strokes on Rayneshia’s thumb when the princess spoke up. “You came with your nails already painted,” she said accusingly.

Akatsuki blushed. “Oh, yeah. Lord Shiroe did them for me, and I didn’t want to just take off the polish so soon …” she trailed off when she noticed Rayneshia’s smug grin. “It’s not like that!”

“It’s not?” Rayneshia put the index finger on her free hand to her chin. “You’d better explain exactly how it’s like, then, so I won’t get the wrong idea.”

Akatsuki pouted, but began. “Well, you know how we got here a day late because of the snow? We couldn’t walk through it, so we checked into an inn last night. We had some dinner, but then it was still way too early to go to bed, and when I was looking for the food in my bag I found the nail polish, and …” 

“I’m afraid I’m still confused,” Rayneshia said, voice colored with faux-innocence. “You’d better keep going, just to be safe.”

“Lord Shiroe saw the nail polish and said something along the lines of me maybe needing to practice before I did yours, and volunteered to let me do his nails to practice--”

“The Villain in Glasses  _ asked  _ you to  _ paint his nails _ ?” Rayneshia interrupted with a shriek. 

“...yes?”

Rayneshia placed her free hand over her heart. “I’m not sure how to feel about this. I mean, this is a lot to take in, you know? On one hand, it’s almost cute that he has a softer side to him. But what if it’s a trick? In my experience, Adventurers wearing glasses--”

“Princess,” Akatsuki cut in, “It’s not as big of a deal as you’re making it out to be. We were just bored, and this was one of our only options for entertainment.”

“If you say so,” Rayneshia replied, evidently not believing that at all. “But, that doesn’t explain why you have your nails done.”

“I finished his pretty quickly, and then he asked if I was going to do my own,” Akatsuki answered, opening the silver bottle. “I wasn’t, because I was going to wait for you, but I panicked and said yes, and I did the left hand myself, and he said it looked really good, and I said that my right hand would be way worse because it’s hard to do one’s dominant hand, and then he offered to just do it himself even though it wouldn’t be good either, and--”

“Breathe,” Rayneshia ordered, and Akatsuki took a deep breath.

“And, yeah,” she finished lamely. She screwed the top back on the polish bottle. “That’s why. If you want, I can take off the left hand’s polish, and you can paint my left? After yours dry, of course.”

“I’d like that very much.” Rayneshia held up her newly-painted nails. “This was fun. I’m glad Adventurers had an idea like this. Thank you, Akatsuki.”

“It’s no trouble. I like doing it, really. Once in a while, anyways.” She produced the Rayneshia merchandise from her bag. “While those dry, why don’t you have a look at the other things you wanted me to bring?”

It didn’t take long, and soon Akatsuki was wiping off the polish on her left hand. “If you can take nail polish off so easily,” Rayneshia wondered aloud, “Why don’t you take off the polish all over your right hand? Not the part on your nails, obviously, but it’s on your fingers and your palm, too.”

“I told Lord Shiroe I wasn’t mad about him not being good at it.” Akatsuki looked at her (admittedly very messy) right hand with a small smile. “I don’t want to make him feel bad.”

“Well, I hope you won’t be mad at me, either,” Rayneshia said, taking the red bottle from Akatsuki’s bag. “Though I hope I’ll be better at it than some Adventurer boy.”

Akatsuki laughed, and Rayneshia got to work.

Admittedly, she was much better than Shiroe.

* * *

All too soon, it was time for dinner. Akatsuki tried to excuse herself, but Rayneshia absolutely insisted she stay for dinner, and sleep over as well.

“If you think I’m letting you walk home in this weather,  _ after dark _ , you’re out of your mind, Akatsuki,” Rayneshia declared between bites of her salad. Her newly-painted nails sparkled under the lights from the chandelier. “I know you hurt your ankle recently, too; you’ve been walking with more weight on your left leg all day. What kind of a friend would I be if I let you go out in the dark, in the snow, while you’re injured?”

Akatsuki rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Thank you, then. I’ll gladly stay. But are you sure you’re offering out of the goodness of your heart, and not because you have more questions for me?”

Rayneshia smiled back. “A lady must have a few secrets, hmm?”

Shiroe and Rieze arrived just in time for the main course. “I apologize for our tardiness,” Rieze announced upon their entering. “The time simply got away from us in our quest to finish a report.”

Rayneshia waved a hand. “You haven’t missed much. But Akatsuki has agreed to spend the night. I could never send her out in this weather.”

Shiroe glanced at Akatsuki, who nodded. He dipped his head to Rayneshia. “Thank you for your kindness. Akatsuki, I can leave my griffin summon flute here with you for your use tomorrow morning. Would that be alright?”

“Don’t be silly,” Rieze interjected. “You’re staying too, Shiroe.”

“Uh--”

“I’m glad we’re in agreement,” Rayneshia said with a smile that was altogether too pleased. She caught the attention of a serving boy. “Could you instruct the maids to make up a guest room for Master Shiroe? Akatsuki will be staying with me, so just one will be fine. Thank you.” She turned her attention back to the main course. “This salmon is simply delicious, isn’t it?”

No wonder Crusty got along so well with Rayneshia, Shiroe thought. They were absolutely cut from the same cloth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not super confident in Rayneshia's characterization, but it's my first time writing her. 
> 
> Also, this technically fills the square for sleepover, but all the sleepover antics happen before Akatsuki even knows it's a sleepover lol
> 
> Find me and request bingo squares on [Tumblr!](http://www.skeletoncloset.tumblr.com)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiroe and Akatsuki return home to their guild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bingo square: It's cold, have my jacket (requested by @moribunny on Tumblr!)
> 
> (does it count as the square if it's a cloak instead of a jacket? im gonna say yes)

Akatsuki and Shiroe awoke (in separate rooms, this time) after a night of good rest. Individually, they gathered up their items, and the two of them plus Rieze and Rayneshia dined together for breakfast in the dining room. 

_ I could get used to waking up to this _ , Shiroe thought, upon setting eyes on the feast before them.

Nyanta was a fantastic cook, but he could only dream of generating this much food. And, furthermore, it all smelled  _ heavenly _ . Eggs, bacon, toast, sausages, pancakes and crepes--you name, it was available in huge quantities on the table in front of you, laid upon a gleaming silver dish. Stacks of fresh fruit towered above them in huge bowls. Three types of juice were available, each already poured out in silver goblets at the four place settings.

Rayneshia and Rieze, quite unfazed by the display, began to eat. Shiroe exchanged eye contact with Akatsuki, and that single glance told him that they were thinking the exact same thing. _ We need to come over here more often. And maybe bring the rest of the guild as well. _

They ate and ate until they couldn’t eat anymore. Shiroe was sure that he probably looked like a wild animal to their more poised hosts, but he honestly couldn’t care. Any energy he wasn’t using to eat unthinkable quantities of breakfast potatoes was spent wondering how in Theldesia Akatsuki was eating twice as much as he was.

Eventually, they were definitely full. Shiroe and Akatsuki thanked Rieze and Rayneshia for their stay, and Rayneshia made Akatsuki promise to come back next week with more Princess merch. Akatsuki agreed with a small smile, and then they were off.

The snow had still not really melted on the roads outside, but at least the sky was clear. “Good news, Akatsuki,” Shiroe announced, upon seeing no clouds above them, “We’re flying home.”

“That is good news, my Lord,” she agreed. She was still slightly favoring one leg, Shiroe noticed. That was only natural, he supposed. She had only slipped off of the roof yesterday. 

“It is,” he echoed. “But I have to warn you, it’s going to be much colder going home that way. The wind is going to be brutal, and with your outfit, I’m worried you’ll get frostbite or something.”

“Can Adventurers even get frostbite?” Akatsuki countered skeptically. “I think I’ll be just fine, my Lord.”

“No, I’m not budging this time,” Shiroe declared. “I have let you put yourself in danger and pain too many times in the past two days, and frankly I’m sick of it. I’m putting my foot down.”

“Alright then, my Lord,” Akatsuki conceded. A second passed. Then another. “So, what exactly are you putting your foot down about?”

“Oh! Right.” Shiroe unequipped his cloak and handed it to Akatsuki. “You’ll be too cold otherwise. Wear this on our ride back."

Akatsuki went from her normal pale complexion to the color of a sunburned tomato in less than a second. “My Lord! I couldn’t! That cloak belongs to you. You should wear it. You can get cold, too.”

“I’m wearing sleeves and long pants,” Shiroe countered. “You’re correct in saying that this belongs to me. However, I am lending it to you, and as you have sworn your loyalty to me, you should do as I say and wear it for the journey home. I’ll take it back when we land, okay?"

Begrudgingly, Akatsuki allowed the cloak to settle around her shoulders. It was, admittedly, very warm. “I suppose I should be grateful, my Lord, but I’m just embarrassed to be wearing something to obviously too big for me,” she grumbled.

“No one is going to be able to tell when we’re soaring through the sky,” Shiroe said with a laugh. He blew the summon whistle, and a single griffin landed. In one fluid motion, he hopped on the back of the animal and extended a hand to Akatsuki to help her up. “Let’s go home, shall we?”

Home had never sounded so wonderful to either of them before. Akatsuki placed her hand in his and allowed herself to be settled on the back of the griffin.

In no time, they were back at the Log Horizon guild hall. All of their guild mates were happy to see them back (mostly) safe and sound, and wanted to hear all about their adventures, but before either of them were willing to talk, they both wanted nothing more than to change into their warmest pajamas and sit by the fire.

After donning their pajamas (which were a rather inappropriate choice of attire, given that there was still plenty of time left in the day to run errands, or arrange a meeting, or do any number of other productive things), they settled on the couch by the fire. Nyanta handed each of them a steaming cup of hot chocolate. “Now, start from the beginning, nya? And don’t leave anything out. We’re all interested in hearing about the past two days.”

Akatsuki and Shiroe glanced at each other.  _ We’re leaving some of those details out, right? _ On the same page, Shiroe opened his mouth. “Well, it’s a rather long story, so all of you’d better get comfortable …”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and commenting, everyone! I'm calling this story finished, but feel free to grab a bingo square for your OTP over on my [Tumblr!](http://www.skeletoncloset.tumblr.com) Please just specify pairing and square, and I'll add it to my queue :) I'm quite slow at fulfilling story requests, as you can see, but I do my best.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me and request bingo squares on [Tumblr!](http://www.skeletoncloset.tumblr.com)


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